Let’s work to ensure safety for transgender young people

As our society progresses and becomes more enlightened, the journey from a rarely discussed concept to a valued, protected part of society is easier for those of us who are personally impacted. To each of my grandchildren, I am Jichan, Japanese for grandfather and to me, they are amazing and unique. One of them creates that incredible, personal attachment to the importance of transgender issues.

My granddaughter, Malisa, does not hide who she is. When she was born the doctors wrote “male” on her birth certificate, but from the time she could first speak and express who she truly is, she has been my granddaughter. As I watch her matriculate through school, she inspires me to be a leader, regarding issues that affect both she and her friends and schoolmates.

{mosads}One of the issues to which I am most committed, alongside LGBT equality, is equity in education. As opposed to equality, where everyone is equal, equity is about ensuing that each and every child gets what they need to attain a full education. For some, that means enhanced tutoring, for others, it could be inexpensive or free meals. For transgender young people, it means, in part, feeling as safe at school as they do at home.

That is why my Congressional Task Force on Transgender Equality held a roundtable in my district recently, about creating acceptance and understanding of transgender children in our schools.

Recent findings shows that transgender children who socially transition with the support of their families are better off than those that do not have support. That help in transitioning must continue at school. Each of our children has the right to be treated with kindness and respect, just like the adults they will grow into.

That environment, however, is not always present. Bullying is still a clear and present danger to children in many of our schools. 75 percent of Californian transgender youth reported that they had been harassed, and 31 percent have been physically assaulted. These numbers have immediate impact on young people like my granddaughter.

Not only do transgender people face high suicide rates – more than 50 percent of transgender youth will have had at least one suicide attempt by their 20^th birthday – but they also face high rates of discrimination.

As a father, and a grandfather, I understand how important it is to protect children from danger. Part of educating our young people though, is exposing them to new experiences that are not dangerous, but will lead them to a fuller life. It can help make them more accepting adults, who are less likely to discriminate against their fellow human beings. 

That is why I’m concerned about dangerous laws being proposed across the nation, including those in North Carolina, banning transgender children from using the bathroom that aligns with their identity. While some claim the goal is to protect our children, we are doing the opposite.

Happy, healthy children are not created through the inculcation of fear. They are children raised to marvel and wonder at their world. They feel safe in asking questions about things they do not understand; things that are new.

As parents and grandparents, it is our responsibility to pass on the positives in our tradition and culture, while leaving negatives like discrimination behind.

Successfully passing on these values is what allows to understand that grandchildren who identify as transgender, are not problems to be solved. They are moments that let us understand what our young people are telling us. They are moments that allow us to show our compassion, and to act as role models.

The journey from fearful judgment to compassion has not happened overnight in our nation, and it will not happen overnight in our homes or schools overnight.

This journey, though, can be taken together. I want what every other grandfather and parent want for the young people in their family. I want my daughter, and her kids, to inherit a better world.

I want my granddaughter and those in her school to not face the same risks of suicide, harassment and discrimination that those who came before her. 

So let’s come together to have a conversation that fosters respect and compassion for everyone, including transgender people.

Let’s come together to fight for our children instead of passing laws to increase their suffering.

Congressman Mike Honda is the U.S. Representative for California’s 17th District